The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1887-02-02

the pillows with little sigh Of content
ment.
"Now you must 60 to sleep. Essie."
said the story-teller.
And she sat by the bedside until the |
quivering eyelids of the little girl |
dropped in slumber.
Then stealing softly to the table, she
shaded the lamp, and unlocking the |
drawer of an old fashioned bureau
which stood against the wall, took from
its depths little package of neatly
written manuscript, some blank paper,
a pen. and bottle of ink.
1T will be great surprise to Essie,"
she murmured softly to herself.
And drawing the paper towards her.
she wrote rapidly. in hand as clear
and distinct as copper-plate. until the
clock in the church tower just round
the corner tolled the hour of ten.
Il timed myself accurately" she muir
INJURED half aloud; embarrassing
with her eye the pile of manuscript on
the table before her-''the book is large
enough. Some day I'll get out Volume
II. Now for the illustration. Luckily,
l had three-quarters of an hour of
spare time to-day, when the press broke
down. and inspiration enough to dash
this off"
She arose as she finished speaking.
and taking down her lunch-basket from
q nail driven in the wall. lifted the
cover and drew out thin package
wrapped in brown paper.
1t was piece of bristol-board. on
which was traced, with a bold hand, a
picture that illustrated the story she
had told that night to her crippled SIS
ter.
ArtIstically speaking. it was a very
faulty picture; but it had the merit Of
originality. and there was a certain
vigor and firmness about the lines that
gave character to the faces Of the giant
ogre, the daring knight and the inn
prisoned princess
Tho girl. with her head supported in
her hands, eyed the rough drawing
with contemptuous curl on her lip.
ut 10 very bad know" she MUIR
INJURED; "but Essie will value it, Oh, if
I were only rich. and could take draw
ng-lessons, and have time to practice
composition. perhaps some day might
produce something that would cause The
world to give little bit of praise to
Helen Gwinett!
She sighed little despondently. but
she pasted the drawing in position Mt
the head of the story she had written
out, and made all the manuscript into
compact bundle. which she wrapped in
a brown paper, and placed in the bot
tom of her lunch-basket.
Then. after glance at the fire. to see
that 1t was properly banked. she un-
dressed and crept into bed beside her
sleeping sister.
Before sunrise the next morning. she
was up and prepared the simple break.
fast and q MONDAY lunch for herself
J and Essie.
When. presently. Essie awoke. she
washed and dressed the child, and they
ate breakfast together.
At half-past six Nell kissed Essie
goodbye, laid two or three well-worn
| books within reach of the helpless child,
and seizing her lunch-basket, tripped
merrily away to work.
Nell worked in a grea: printing and
publishing house, and earned pound q
. week.
1t seemed pitiful sum; and she hard
ly knew how she made ends meet with
: it; but she was rigid economist, and
generally had few pennies with which
. to buy delicacies for her little invalid
3 sister, who had been her constant care
since, two years before, they were left
orphans.
|! Nell had day-dreams sometimes, bu.
l they did not interfere with the practical
issues of life. and the foreman of the
9 room where she worked considered hel
y his best hand.
}. On the floor above was the bindery.
q Nell knew the foreman, q middle
a aged Scotchman, who had been in tn,
employ OF the firm since boyhood. anG
r that day at noon she sought him out in
his little Office, rallied off in one corne
of the great room.
n MIR, Carnagie," she said. breakin,
the string that confined the manuscrlp
Of her book, II want to ask favor Q
. you"
"a "Welle" said the foreman interrcga
y lively. speaking with strong Scotc
It accent
y 1--WE got some manuscript here
v some little stories that / have write
out from time to time for my cripple
% sisters benefit II were rich I'd hav
n. them printed. although I'm not fo'
q, enough to believe they possess an
10 merit except for her. I've made Il
manuscript rs much like book-page
It. possible. with wide margins all aroun'
p and want to know il you'll bind it Il
- me in one Of those pretty giftboc
W covers, with these letters stamped in 60
ID on the 'front.' "Essie in .kairyland, /
at Sister Nell Iwant to"
a. II can't do it," said the foreman.
m little grufily. shaking his head; 81,
ad contrary to orders. One Of those gi,
bindings is worth five shillinga You
Mt have to see the manager down-stai,
tie He don't hire me to give away b
stock"
ID Very WE'LL" cried Nell, snatchir